Enchiladas Rojas

Red Cheese Enchiladas Recipe

Continuing with my enchiladas theme this month, I am now presenting my recipe for enchiladas rojas. This is a classic baked cheese enchilada recipe with a rich and delicious red chile sauce.

ENCHILADAS ROJAS RECIPE

2 cups of chile roja sauce (recipe available by clicking here)

18 corn tortillas

½ large sweet onion - diced

½ pound of blended Colby jack/ aged cheddar cheeses

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Pour ¼ cup of the chile sauce into a 9.5”X13.5”X3.5” (3 quart) casserole dish to coat the bottom.

Heat tortillas, four at a time, in the microwave for 14 seconds or until soft and pliable.

Not surprisingly, the enchilada assembly is identical to that of my green enchiladas recipe. Place a tortilla on a cutting board; add a tablespoon of onion, a tablespoon of cheese and roll the tortilla with filling into a tube.

This picture also features a roasted red bell pepper as filling; feel free to mix it up!

Place the rolled enchilada in the pan, repeat until the pan is full.

Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheese has melted and started to caramelize. If you think that your cheese is melting too soon, you can tent the casserole with aluminum foil to prevent it from burning.

Eat with rice and beans and guacamole!

Salsa Verde

Tomotillo Salsa Recipe

Salsa verde, or tomatillo and green chile salsa, is one of my favorite things to make because it goes great with everything. Salsa verde is incredibly versatile, and it can be applied to a variety of dishes ranging from the traditional enchiladas verdes to the less obvious green chile pizza. Sometimes I just make a big vat of it and have a glorious day on the couch with some chips and reruns of Project Runway!

Salsa Verde Recipe

6 tomatillos

4 hatch, poblano, or a combination thereof (preferred) chiles

½ an onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of salt

juice of one lime (about 1 tablespoon)

½ cup of vegetable stock

¼ cup of cilantro

Special Equipment: Food processor or blender

Method

Set your oven to broil. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, place the tomatillos, still in their husks, and chiles on the pan, and put the pan in the oven on the middle rack.

Check the roasting vegetables from time to time, and flip them over when their skins start to blacken. When the chiles have developed a nice char on their skins, remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the chiles are cooling, dice the onion, mince the garlic, and sauté together until the onion is translucent – set aside.

Once the roasted vegetables have cooled, peel off the charred skins of the chiles, remove the stems and seeds, and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Then, remove the husks and stems of the tomatillos and add them to the food processor as well. Finally, add the sautéd onion and garlic, the salt, lime juice, and cilantro.

Puree until smooth.

Eat with a chip!

This recipe makes about 2 cups of salsa, which is perfect for my forthcoming enchiladas recipe, but if you want a thinner sauce, add another half cup of vegetable stock or water.